Researchers at the Structural Genomics Consortium at The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) of McGill University have joined forces with scientists from 11 major antibody manufacturers to create an Open Science platform aimed at characterizing research antibodies. This groundbreaking platform is designed to address a critical challenge in biomedical research reproducibility and has been published in Nature Protocols.
Antibodies play a crucial role in life sciences as they are commonly used to detect specific proteins in complex biological samples. However, a significant number of antibodies currently available in the market lack specificity, leading to off-target effects. This issue results in approximately $1 billion of wasted research funding annually on non-specific antibodies.
Lead scientists Peter McPherson, Carl Laflamme, and Riham Ayoubi spearheaded the development of the antibody characterization platform through the public-good initiative known as YCharOS (Antibody Characterization through Open Science). This initiative involves comparing all commercially available antibodies for a specific protein target in side-by-side testing. The standardized characterization process includes using knockout (KO) cell lines and evaluating antibodies across various applications such as immunoblotting, immunoprecipitation, and immunofluorescence. Notably, this collaboration marks the first large-scale effort among competitors in the antibody industry.
To date, the YCharOS team has tested around 1,200 antibodies targeting 120 protein targets. The 11 antibody manufacturers and an additional KO cell supplier have collectively contributed over $2 million in-kind to support this project.
The Open Science approach facilitates the expansion of antibody characterization efforts. The protocols outlined in the study are now being implemented at a secondary YCharOS site at Leicester University in the United Kingdom, led by Drs. Harvinder Virk and Micheal Biddle. Researchers at this site are utilizing these methods to test antibodies in additional applications.
According to Katherine Crosby from Cell Signaling Technology, one of the 11 YCharOS antibody manufacturer partners, “Never before have companies collaborated at this scale to improve antibody quality.” Aled Edwards, YCharOS Board Chair, added, “Open Science can help turn this widespread issue into a solvable challenge.”
Chetan Raina, CEO of YCharOS Inc., highlighted the commitment of corporate partners to providing high-quality reagents to the research community through their enthusiastic involvement in this initiative.
For more information, the study titled “A consensus platform for antibody characterization” can be found in Nature Protocols. This groundbreaking research is a testament to the power of collaboration and Open Science in advancing the quality and reproducibility of research in the life sciences field.
